Grain-car-door-operating means



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June 19, 1928. 1,674,577

K J. TOWERS GRAIN CAR DOOR OPERATING vMEANS 7 Filed May 11, 1927 l 2 sheets-sheet 2 111111111111111);1111111111111xvmv.

l --xzI gli wwf@ A ATTQ'RNEY,

WlTNESSES Patented .lune 19, `1928. ,A

UNITED STATES -JoHN'ToWERs orl FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA.

. GRAIN-CAR-DOOR-OPERATING- MEANS.

Application filed 11,

This invention relates to grainl car door operating means. A

It has been found that, due to the tremendous pressure exerted on the doors of a grain car, by the grain within the car, it is with considerable.difficulty that the doors are opened to allow the grain to pass out through the door openings.

, It is therefore one ofthe objects of the present invention, to provide` improved 'means which facilitates the unloading ofv a" car laden with grain,vby partly overcoming the effect of the tremendous pressure exerted on the doors of the car by the grain.;

' Another and more specific object ofthe invention is toy provide means for thepurpose stated, which functions in conjunction with a pivotally mounted door, to apply to such door, a sufhcient force, in a quick and easy manner, to move the dooi` `against the pressure exerted thereon, to the end that the doorwill be moved from its closed to a partly openedposition. e y y The nature o`f the invention and its distinguishing features and advantages will appear when the following specification is read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in whichf Figure 1 is a side elevation of the central portion of a grain car showing one of the doors in its closed position. Y

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on thev line 2 2 of Fig. 3,the door being shown in its opened position.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. '1, and illustrating the manner Vin which the door is niovedto a partly opened position. 'y

Fig. 4 is a-sectional view through one side of the car, the section being taken von 'Y the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the barv used Vvfor movingthe doors. f

The present invention involves vther cembination of a railroad grain car 10', doors 11 and means foroperating the doors 11.

The grain car 10 includes sides 12 each having a door opening 13. The floor of the car is indicated at 14. Each of the door. openings 13 lis controlled by lone of the door-s 11 and is mounted for movement to yopened and closed position with respect thereto. Each door has a pivot 15 on one of the lower corners thereof which extends through the side 12 adjacent the door opening. A suitable block 16 serves to provide' erated by a suitable lever.

pear. .has a socket engaging portion 2O at one Y1927'. Aserial No. 190,627.

adequate bearing surface for thek pivot 15,. In this way the door 1 1 is mounted for pivot al movement to control the door opening 13.

1n order to eifect the pivotal movement ofthe door, the pivot 15 has connected therewith a socket 17 which is disposed eXteriorly. The opening 18 in the socket 17 .is somewhat elongated for ay purpose to ap- A bar 19 is provided. `The bar 19 end. The portion 20, cross seetionally, yis of the same shape, and substantially of the same size as the openingV 18. It will there fore be vunderstoodthat it is necessary to insertthe'por'tion 20 in the opening 18 of the socket 17 in such a manner that kthe bar V19 will be properly disposed for a lifting action to open the door, also forexerting a Apulling force thereon when thedoor` is in an open position, to .move the door to a closed position. The portion 2O also has a notch,r Y

21 for a purpose to appear hereinafter.`

In order to hold each` door 11 in a closed position and to prevent rattling, rthere are provided hooksor the like 22 respectively at opposite sides of the door .openingl VEach hook 22 is pivoted as at 23 to a portion of the door frame. These hooks 22 are adapted to be swung over the upper edge of the-door which will prevent upward movement, also` vibration of the door, y The hooks 22 maybe disengaged' to allowv the door to'be moved when that is desired. These hooks` may serve to hold the door in a closed position when the car is empty, and it is desired to have the door at each side of the car elo-sed. Y,

Vhen each door is swung to itsopen posif tion, it engages a stop 24 secured to the side 12. The said stop 24 includes a buifer 25 of suitable material, such as rubber, and a porton 26 which sets up a wedging action onthe edge of the door. The stop 24 prcvents the door from touching the floor 14,y and prevents the door from being dislodged by jarring when thev car` is in motion.

It has been found that due to the tremendous pressure exerted on the doors of a grain car when loaded, that it is almost iinpossible to move the doors to allow the grain.

to pass out through the door openings. A capacity load ofgrain weighs about eighty `thousand pounds, which exerts a tremendous pressure `on the doors. 4 Inorder to overcome the effect of this pressure on each door there is provided' a means, which may be op- The said means acts against the lower edge ot each door 11. In the present inst-ance, the means includes a member 27 which is guided tor up and down movement through an opening 28 in the floor 14 and an openingl a plate 29 secured to one of the longitudinals ot the ear. The upper end ot' the meniber 27 has an angular portion or hea-d 30 which acts on the lower edge ot the door7 and is also engageable with a portion ot t-he licor 11ito limit the loi.uiwai' il movement oit the member 27. A stop 31 carried by the izieiziber 9.7 is engageable with the plate Q9 and also performs with the head 3() in limiting the dmvnward movement ot the member 2i', and also limits the upward movement ot the said member 27. lVhcn each member 27 is in its normal position the lower end will project some distance below the plate 29 as shown in Figs. 1; 2 and 3. Each men'iber 27 will be moved with the bar 19 which serveswith a itulcrui'n element 33 tixedly secured as at 311- to a portion ot the car; adjacent the member Q7. The bar 19 and element 33 constitute alever, which serves ttor the application ot' considerable torce to the member 27 to raise the latter, thereby lifting the door 11 associated thermvith. To accomplish this end, the lower end ot the` meinber 27 is engaged in the notch 21 in the portion 20 ot' the bar 19; as illustrated in Fig. 3. By bearing down on the outer end ot the bar 19 the door 11 may be moved toa partly open position. rThis will allow the grain within the car to pass ont between the lower odge of the door and the floor. Yin time, press-ure on the door will be reduced to such an extent that the door may be moved to its fully open position. This is accomplished by inserting the portion 20 ot the bar 19 in the opening 18 of the socket 17; whereupon the bar 19 may be swung` upwardly causing the door to move on its pivot 15 to the open position in engagement with the stop 24. The contents ot the car may then be removed. i

From the foregoing it will be apparent that provision is made tor overcoming or .relieving pressure on the doors of a grain car to subsequently allow the doors to be moved to fully opened positions; that the means provided for carrying out this result is extremely simple and prac-tical, and one which maybe operated by one man; and that by virtue ot the provision ot such means the unloading ot grain cars will be greatly facilitated.

I claim:

1. The combination with a grain door having a door opening; ot a door controlling said opening, a member guided tor upward movement so as to act on said door; and separate means for effecting the upward move- Leva-,577

ment ot said member to apply a lifting torce to said door to move the door to a partly open position.

2. The combination with a grain door having a door opening; of a pivotally mounted door controlling said opening, a member guided tor movement so as to act on said door; separate means tor effecting the movement of said member to cause the latter te act on said door at a point remote 'from its pivot to move the door to a partly open position; and means limiting the movement of said member.

3. The combination with a grain car vhaving a door opening; ot a door controlling said opening, a member guided for movement so as to aet on said door; a itulcrum on the ear, and a separate bar adapted to co-v art with the tulcrum and said member, to move said member to cause the latter to act on the door to move the door to a partly open position.

L1. The combination with a grain car llaving a door opening and a tloor; of a door for controlling said opening, means including a pivot mounting the door tor pivotal movement; a socket connected withv the pivot, means including a separate bar serving for the purpose ot imparting initial pivotal movement to the door up trom the floor to a. partly open position7 and said bar adapted to cooperate with saidsoclet to eifect the pivotal movement ot the door to its fully opened position and to its closed position.

5. 'lhe combination with a grain oar having a door opening; ot a door controlling said opening, a member guided for upward movement so as to act on the lower edge of said door, a ulcrum fixedly mounted below said member, and a separate bar adapted to 'coact with the ulcrum and said member to move said member upwardly to apply a lifting torce to the door to move the door to a partly open position.

6. The combination with a ear having a door and a loor on which the door rests when in a closed position; ot' means including a pivot mounting the door for pivotal movement to opened and closed positions7 a socket connected with the pivot, a member guided Jfor upward movement so as to act on the lower edge of the door at a point remote from its pivot, a ulcrum fixed in position below said member, and a separate bar adapted to 'be used in conjunction with said member and said fulcrum to enable a kperson to move said member upwardly to ap- 

